


Two Sides

by sapphirepiano



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Marinette's parents get divorced, Pain, adrienette - Freeform, chat noir is good, i don't even know what i'm doing, kind of?, ladybug is the bad guy, reversed love square
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-05-03 03:12:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14559585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirepiano/pseuds/sapphirepiano
Summary: It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Ladybug was the savior of Paris, along with her partner, Chat Noir.They were yin and yang, two sides of the same coin.Creation and destruction.Light and darkness.Good and evil.But things don't always happen the way we want them to.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first fanfiction that I'm posting on this site, so I'm really excited! Hopefully you guys like reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The alarm clock woke me up suddenly from me dreamless curtain behind my eyes. I was glad it wasn’t a nightmare again.

A loud clank shook me fully awake as I heard my parents fighting downstairs.

“What did you do?! Now we’ll have to make another batch of the raspberry macarons! Don’t you do anything right, Tom? Those take hours to make!”

“If you didn’t yell at me, maybe I wouldn’t have stumbled and dropped the pan!”

“Are you saying that it’s my fault?! How dare you accuse me!”

I sighed. This was happening on a daily basis. They never used to fight. They were the perfect example of a good, happy marriage filled with love and understanding.

A few months ago, this erupted out of nowhere. I tried to get involved and stop them, but in the end, it was no use. Now, all they did was try to find reasons why the other person was the problem.

Glancing at the alarm clock, I noticed that I would be late if I wasn’t out the door in two minutes.

Jumping out of bed, I quickly got ready for the day. I grabbed a croissant on the way out, with a “bye maman and papa!”

I was just out the door when I heard “You didn’t wake Marinette? She’s going to be late because of you! And on the first day of school, no less!”

I sighed. This was going to be a long day.

A loud honk of a car broke me out of my thoughts as I looked ahead of me and saw a short man with grey, wiry hair wearing a red Hawaiian shirt. He was slowly making his way across the street and the car was making its way closer and closer to him each second. I had to do something.

I dove forward, and in the nick of time, saved the man from colliding into the vehicle. I rubbed my head, which was throbbing in pain, and managed to look at him.

“Thank you for saving me. That was very courageous of you.” He smiled in a knowing way and I smiled back.

“You’re welcome...sir. Oh no! I’m going to be late for school! Bye!” I sped off, running as far as my legs could carry me. The bell rang as I was climbing up the steps. I burst into my new classroom and luckily for me, the teacher hadn’t assigned role call yet. I sat down in a seat, when I noticed Chloe approaching me.

“Well, if it isn’t Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Looks like I’ll be stuck in a wretched class with you again this year,” I glared at her as she inspected her manicured fingernails, “Oh, that’s right. You need to get up from your seat right now.  _ I’m _ going to be the one sitting here, near my beloved Adrikins. You can move over there.” She says, pointing to a seat opposite the classroom, next to a girl with glasses.

“What kind of name is Adrikins?” I mumble, under my breath as I reluctantly start to pack up my things and move. Chloe hears me and gawks, clearly offended.

“You mean you don’t know Adrien Agreste, a famous model and son of the famous fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste? How lame are you?” It suddenly hits me. Gabriel Agreste is the one fashion designer that I aspired to be like and I knew that he had a son, but I never really paid much attention to him. I sat down next to the girl with the glasses.

She immediately turns around and starts animatedly speaking “Hi. My name’s Alya. I’m new.” She holds out her hand for me to hold.

“I’m Marinette. It’s nice to meet you.” I tell her and genuinely meaning every word. I’ve never really had a real best friend, if you know what I mean. All the girls in my class, with the exception of Chloe, were nice to me, but I’d never considered any of them my actual friends. We just talked occasionally and that was as far as it went. Maybe Alya would become a close friend.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Marinette. Who’s that girl with the blond ponytail? The one who was talking to you a few minutes ago?”

“Chloe? Yeah, she’s a real pain. I’ve had her in the same class as me for as long as I can remember. She told me to move because Adrien Agreste would be coming in and she wanted to sit near him.”

“Huh. And you just listened to her? You didn’t fight back?”

I shrugged. “When you’ve known Chloe as long as I have, you know not to mess with her. It’s just best just to do whatever she says.”

“Girl, all that is necessary for the triumph for the evil is that good people do nothing. You have to stand up to Chloe! You can’t let her push you around.”

I realized that she was right. Why had I let Chloe boss me around? It wasn’t fair. “You’re right, Alya! Here, have a chocolate chip cookie. I always keep some in my backpack.” I reach into my backpack and hand her a cookie my parents had made the night before. That is, before they started arguing again.

She took the cookie and bit into it, closing her eyes in bliss and hummed. Between mouthfuls, she managed to say, “Marinette, this is the best chocolate chip cookie that I’ve ever tasted in my entire life! And I’ve had a lot of cookies before, because my mom’s a professional chef. Did you make these? Because if you did, you have some mad baking skills, girl!” She gulped the rest of the cookie down.

I giggled, “That’s what happens when your parents own a bakery.”

* * *

 

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. My thoughts gathered me in a whirlwind of emotions and I felt tears sting my eyes. 

My father had managed to keep me trapped in his pretty, little cage my entire life. I had done everything he wanted to make him feel proud of me. I had been the perfect son, obeying his every rule, limiting my diet, modelling in endless photoshoots, going to every class or lesson my father had arranged for me.

And he still had refused the idea of me going to a real, life public school.

I had tried to ask why he didn’t want me to go. Maybe he truly did have a good enough reason for his decision.

* * *

 

_ I was going to do it.  _

_ I was 15 years old. He had to let me go to public school. I was tired of being his little puppet. I arranged for Nathalie to get me a meeting with him. _

_ It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? _

_ I had to arrange a meeting ahead of time to talk to my own father. _

_ Anyway, when the time came, I made sure that my hair was combed and that I looked presentable. I needed to look like I was serious. It was my only chance of actually have a chance at convincing my father. I knocked on the tall wooden doors, three times. _

_ There was a faint “come in, Adrien” from the other side. I took a deep breath. My heart was pounding and my stomach had butterflies in it. But I couldn’t have been more confident about my decision. I opened the latch and opened the door. _

_ There he was, writing something down. _

_ Gabriel Agreste had never been an emotional man. It made me wonder how my mother and father ever fell in love. They were polar opposites: mother was a ray of sunshine, while father was an icy wind on a cold, winter’s day. His monotone gray eyes were a contrast to my mother’s twinkling evergreen. _

_ But that didn’t matter now. I sat down in front of my father, and waited for him to face me. _

_ “Ah, Adrien. I presume you’ve finished your studies?” his eyes was boring into mine, make me uncomfortable. _

_ “Yes, father. Everything is done. I, uh, actually wanted to ask you about something.” _

_ “Well, get on with it. I don’t have all day.” _

_ “The first day of public school is tomorrow and I want you to give me permission to be able to go.” _

_ Silence. _

_ “Adrien, you know why the answer is no. It still applies.” _

_ “No, father! I’m 15 years old. I deserve to have a chance at doing what I want, instead of whatever you want for me!” _

_ “Adrien, this conversation is over. You are forbidden to go to school.” _

* * *

 

Which brings us to present day.

I was sick of being like Rapunzel, begging to her mother to let her go outside the tower.

I start to head up the steps when I hear Nathalie, “Adrien, we have to get home. Your father will be furious.”

I was going to say refuse, until I saw a small man wearing a red Hawaiian shirt struggling in the corner of my eye. I avoid Nathalie’s gaze as I jog over to help him get up.

“Thank you, young man. No one these days cares for an old man like me. No matter, though.” He waves it off, suddenly cheerful.

“It’s really no problem, sir. Glad I could be of service.” I smile at him as Nathalie comes over to me.

“Adrien, we have to go. Now.”

“I know, I know. I just hoped that there would be a way, somehow.”

I turn to the old man, “Sir, do you need any help getting to where you want to go?”

He shook his head. “No, thank you. You’ve already done so much for me. More than you know.” I wave him goodbye and walk to the silver car, my hopes shattered.

Maybe next year.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you lovely people for supporting me so far! I really appreciate it.

I stared out the window, feeling deflated.

I guess I needed to accept the fact that I would never be able to go to public school.

The thing was, I needed to, but I _couldn't._

I had to try again, I decided.

Tomorrow.

* * *

As soon as I got home, I laid down on the sofa in my room and closed my eyes.

When I woke up, it was 6:00 and already dark outside.

Stretching my arms, I notice a small hexagonal jewelry box on the coffee table that I'd never seen before.

Curiosity got the best of me and I hesitantly opened it.

What was going to be inside?

Oh.

It was just a silver ring, with a circular crest in the center. It didn’t look anything special, but some explainable force drew me to try it on. As soon as the ring went through my finger, a small black figure materialized.

“ _Ughhhh_.” The...thing groaned, rubbing its head. It was then I had a chance to see it properly.

It was a small black cat-like creature, with slit neon green eyes, and tiny paw things?

What I noticed next was horrifying. It seemed to be _floating_ , on _thin air!_

“Is there any food here? Like cheese?” it asked, gaze catching upwards. It flew to the rock climbing wall. “Oooh, that’s so shiny! Can you eat it?” The thing asked.

“Hey, stop that! My father won’t be happy if he finds out you were the one ruining my things.” I crossed my arms over my chest and gazed at it sternly.That seemed to make it sober up and fly to me, in front of my face

“Your father must never know that I exist.”

“And why is that?”

“My name is Plagg and I’m a kwami, which is basically a god, you know. I give you the power of destruction if you wear that ring.” Plagg’s tone was nonchalant.

“Wait, wait, wait, hold up. I’m not going to be evil, am I?” 

“Not if you use it for the right reasons. Anymore questions, kid?” I was really starting to question my sanity at this point.

“My name’s Adrien, if you wanted to know. But what am I going to do with the power of destruction?”

“What you’ve been wanting to do your whole life. You seem like someone who could use a little bit of freedom. I can give that to you.”

I gasped. This couldn’t be possible. What if this was all just a dream? “Really?”

“Sure. Now enough of that. Do you have any food? I’m absolutely starving!” The kwami moaned, his dramatics drawing a chuckle out of me.

“What do you eat?”

“Cheese. And not just any kind. Camembert is my darling.” Cheese? Of all the things, his diet was...cheese? And such smelly, expensive one at that?

I grimaced, but managed a small smile.

“You got it.”

* * *

“Nooroo, what can your powers do?”

“You will have the power to sense a person’s emotions and can turn them into champions to help you.” The butterfly kwami replied, quivering with fear.

“I won’t be turning people into champions. They will be turned into akumas instead!” The sinister man laughs.

“But master, the butterfly miraculous is not used for evil purposes.”

“And as your master, you will do what I say!” The man roars, shaking the room.

“Yes, master.” The kwami looks down, helpless.

“Don’t worry, my sweet Emilie. I’m coming for you.”

* * *

The day had gone extremely well. Alya and I had talked like we were the best of friends. I was glad that there was someone that I could be close with

I plopped on my desk as soon as I got home, grinning from ear to ear. Even maman had commented on my unexpected happiness. It was then when i saw a small box sitting on my desk.

Huh.

How did this get here? Was it my mother’s?

I cautiously opened the box, where lay a pair of ladybug patterned earrings. This was probably a gift for me from maman! I quickly went to the nearest mirror and tried them on. They immediately turned black, which was strange.

It was then when I spotted a red bug creature thing with large black spots.

“Hi Marinette! I’m Tikki!” it said and I screamed.

Were there rats in my room?

I rushed to find a jar and trapped it.

“What are you?! How are you talking and how do you know my name? Maman!” I panicked. Somehow, she went right through the jar as a means to get out.

“Please, Marinette, calm down. I’m not here to hurt you! I’m a kwami and I can give you magical powers. No one must know I exist.”

“Marinette, is there something wrong?” Papa’s voice was muffled by the layer of the trapdoor, but it was still clear. I decided to trust Tikki.

For now.

“No papa! I just found...a pigeon outside my window and...it scared me! Haha, it’s so funny right?” My heart was racing as fast as a galloping herd of horses.

“Whatever you say Marinette. Just be careful.”

Whew.

* * *

 

The next day, I went to school carrying Tikki in a small pink purse I had designed myself. She had plenty of cookies inside, just in case if she got hungry. I found Alya already in class and waiting for me.

“Hey girl!”

“Hi Alya!” We greeted each other as the bell rang for class. Suddenly, a boy with blonde hair comes rushing in the room, panting.

He looked very familiar.

Suddenly, Chloe shrieks, “Adrikins!” after jumping on top of him, nearly making him fall over.

“Hey Chloe!” He tries to get her off of him and its then when I see him properly.

His eyes are the most beautiful shade of green I’ve ever seen, his cheeks slightly pink, and his hair is styled perfectly, glinting golden in the light.

Just like all the rich, spoiled people are.

They look like angels on the outside, but on the inside, their hearts were just shriveled up pieces of coal.

“Alya, that’s Adrien Agreste! He must be a spoiled brat just like Chloe for her to like him so much.”

“Yeah, he must be. The way she’s hanging on to him like a leech, they must be the perfect pair. It’s best to avoid people like them.”

* * *

 

After class, I found Ivan sitting on one of the benches, sulking.

“What’s wrong, Ivan?” He just looked away.

“I want to tell Mylène how much I like her, but I don’t want to scare her off.” He mumbles, eventually.

“Why don’t you write her a letter?”

“I’m not very good at love letters. She’ll just think I’m stupid.” His body slumped even more and i patted his shoulder.

“How about a song, then?” I thought it was a good idea. So many artist nowadays dedicated their music to people they loved. If he did it right, Ivan would be able to impress his crush.

“That’s...actually a really good idea! Thanks Marinette!” He was smiling again, which was a good sign.

* * *

Don’t worry Adrikins, she’ll never notice. It’ll be a good joke anyway. It’s Maritrash we’re talking about.” she laughed. I didn’t think that it was funny.

“Why are you guys all crowded around my seat?” I heard someone ask as I turned around to face the owner of the beautiful voice.

She was absolutely gorgeous, her blue eyes staring deep into mine, a soft pink blush on her cheeks and her shiny midnight hair.

I think this is what you probably would call love at first sight.

The girl moved around me and sat down on her seat when I remembered…

The piece of gum!

Oh, no.

She gasped, the look on her face furious. “What is the meaning of this?”

“I had-”

“I don’t care what excuses you have! If you’re anything like Chloe, then I should be staying away from you! Do you enjoy making me miserable?” she said.

I was at a loss of words.

Someone who could have been a real friend. I’d ruined my chances at that.

“I’m sorry. Really, I truly am.” I sighed, offering her a small smile.

“I don’t believe you.” She responds, looking away.

I walk back to my seat, counting the ways in which I screwed up when I hear a voice, “Hey dude! I’m Nino.” He offers me a hand to shake, which I take hesitantly.

“Why didn’t she believe me?” I mumble.

“Chloe’s been bullying Marinette since the beginning of time, trust me. She probably thought you were just like her.”

“I didn’t know that. I wanted to get the gum off her seat, but she sat down before I could do anything.”

“Marinette’s a really cool chick. Just apologize to her. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“I hope you’re right on this one.”

* * *

 

“I wrote you a song, Mylène. I hope you like it.” I take a deep breath.

_I hope you were right, Marinette. Here goes nothing._

I start singing. By the time I’m finished, Mylène looks horrified. After taking one look at me, she runs away.

Dejectedly, I walk away, head angled downwards as I replay in my mind what had happened moments earlier.

I’d screwed up so badly.

She’d probably never talk to me again.

She must think I’m dumb.

And stupid.

Horrifying.

Just like a monster.

* * *

 

What Ivan never noticed was a black butterfly flying into his direction. All his self-hatred consumed him until became what was known as the one and only.

Stoneheart.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Stoneheart headed to find Marinette at the school. Meanwhile, Ivan was trying to fight the foreign rush of power through his body. He didn’t want to be like this.

He tried to fight Hawkmoth’s voice in his head, he really did try.

But in the end, temptation was too strong to fight and the evil side won.

_ You’ll pay for this, Marinette _ , he promised.

He headed for the class in which he knew Marinette was currently in. Throwing the door off of its hinges, he roared, “ **MARINETTE! WHERE IS MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG?”,** as he stormed in, determined to make her pay.

She was the one who gave him false information. She was the one who was trying to make fun of his feelings. She was insistent on making him fail.

And she would pay dearly.

“A supervillain?! This is something that I need to remember for the rest of my life!” Alya whips out her phone and starts filming, oblivious to everything else.

“What?! What would you want with me?” Marinette screamed. There was currently a giant rock monster that was after her.

Who wouldn’t be scared?

Stoneheart picked up the teacher’s desk as quickly as he spotted Marinette and threw it in her direction. She moved out of the way seconds before the desk could have had any chance to harm her. It was then Adrien decided that he needed to do something, and fast.

Adrien ran out of the room as quickly as possible. “Plagg, you said you could give me the power of destruction. Is there any way I can stop that thing?”

“Oh! I knew I forgot to tell you something. Hmmm...what was it? I might be able to remember if you give me some cheese!” The kwami stroked one of his whiskers as he continued to think.

Adrien groaned and took out the wedge of camembert and handed it to Plagg, who started to slowly and delicately eat his cheese. “Plagg, hurry up! Marinette and my other classmates could be in danger. I need to do something!” Adrien was panicking now. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if anything had happened that he was capable of fixing.

“Ah, yes! You can be a superhero with your powers. It’s what the miraculous was meant for, by the way. If the guardian sent out the ladybug miraculous, then you probably have a partner. You have cataclysm, which is the power of destroying anything you touch. You have only fifteen minutes until you detransform. Oh, and you can transform by saying, ‘ _ Plagg, transforme-moi _ ’ Was that everything?”

“Okay, Plagg! Transforme-moi!” When the transformation was over, he felt like a new person. He felt free, liberated, wild, and powerful, like nothing could stop him. He ran quickly back into a room where he spotted Marinette curled up in a ball in a small corner, while Stoneheart was raising his fist to hit her.

“Stop! You have to stop! Who are you and what do you want with her?” He stated firmly, while Stoneheart turned around to face him.

“ **MY NAME IS STONEHEART, AND I WANT MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG! SHE TOOK MY FEELINGS FOR MYLÈNE AND GAVE ME FALSE ADVICE AND NOW SHE WILL PAY!”** Stoneheart roared, furious as he raised his fist once again to crush her.

“NO! Cataclysm!” he screamed as he summoned his new power, and pressed the dark magic on Stoneheart’s leg as he groaned and crumbled into nothing but dust and ashes. No one saw the black butterfly that flew away and out of the window.

_ That was surprisingly easier than I thought _ , he thought as he walked over to Marinette.

“I’m Chat Noir. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Chat asks, worried. She didn’t answer. It was then when he saw a bleeding gash that went all the way from her calf to her ankle. Picking her up bridal-style, she hung on for dear life, shoulders shaking. “Where do you live?” he asks her.

“12 Rue Gotlib.” She croaks out. Jumping out of the broken wall, he uses his baton and gets her home. He places her gently on her bed as she turns her watery blue eyes towards him.

“Thank you...so much, Chat Noir. I can’t tell you how much I’m glad you saved me,” she smiles, continuing,”That monster was Ivan. I don’t know how he turned into Stoneheart, but it was probably my fault! I shouldn’t have-”

“Shhh, Princess. It wasn’t your fault. I’m sure you were trying to help. We still need to do something about your leg. Got any first-aid?’

“It’s in that drawer there,” she says, pointing to the pink desk, “the one in the middle.”

Chat Noir finds the box of first-aid quickly and wipes away the dried blood around the cut. Then, he takes some rubbing alcohol, to kill any bacteria that might have gotten inside the wound.

“This might sting a little.” He says, tone remorseful, as he tries to apply the substance as gently, as not to hurt her anymore than she already was.

“Ah!” She groans, fists tightening, and squeezes her eyes firmly shut. He takes a bandage and carefully wraps it around her wound.

“This’ll probably scar. Are you going to be okay?” He looks at her and their eyes suddenly meet, lapis lazuli blue melding with an emerald green. Both of them blush and look away.

“Uh, well, I better be going.” Chat Noir says, instantly regretting it.

“Oh. Okay. Bye, Kitty. Thank you again.” Marinette says, wishing he could stay longer.

“This won’t be last you see of me, Princess. I purromise!” He says, giving a two fingered salute with a wink.

“I’m counting on it.” She giggles as he reaches over and presses a kiss on her knuckles.

“Until next time.” He says as he leaves the room.

Marinette sighs. “Marinette, are you okay?” Tikki comes to her side as soon as Chat Noir leaves.

“Yeah. It was only because Chat Noir saved me.” She says, with a dreamy smile apparent on her face.

“Marinette! You got hurt! I don’t think that this is the time you should be talking about him.” Tikki tells her.

“You’re right, Tikki. I’m sorry. I know I should’ve done something.” Marinette looks down, ashamed.

“I’m the one who should be sorry. I should’ve told you about everything when I’d had the chance. I just didn’t know that this would happen this fast. The Guardian had warned us about it, but no one knew that it would have happened this quickly.”

“What do you mean, Tikki?”

“There is someone else, Marinette. Someone else who also has a Miraculous,” Tikki says, choosing her words carefully, “Someone who has it for selfish reasons. The problem is that the Miraculous is not meant for evil, so when it used for that reason, it can corrupt the power it has for good, and turn the evil magic stronger than it would have been when used for these reasons.”

“Why would someone want to use the Miraculous for evil reasons?”

“It depends on the person. Have you noticed anything different in your household, Marinette? Something that's never happened before until recently?”

“Um, not really. My parents have been fighting more than usual lately, though. Sometimes I get really scared. I just don’t want anything to happen.” Tikki flies up and places a small paw on her her holder’s damp cheek.

“Don’t worry, Marinette. You have the ability to become a superhero, just like Chat Noir. I should’ve told you sooner about the extent of your abilities. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” Tikki’s eyes suddenly go wide for a moment, “Did you see what happened to the akuma after Chat Noir used his Cataclysm?”

“No. Is something wrong?”

“Yes, Marinette! Destroying the akuma is one thing, capturing it is another! Only you have the power to capture the akuma. If the akuma gets away, it can wreak havoc on all of the other citizens of Paris. You have to transform, Marinette. Now!”

“Now!? It’s already 7 PM, Tikki! Not to mention my ankle is injured.”

At this time, the TV switches on to display Nadja Chamack’s worried face. “Citizens of Paris, earlier today we experienced what was nothing short of a supervillain that appeared at the local lycée. It disappeared thanks to a mysterious figure who calls himself Chat Noir. However, it seems that this villain has returned once again and is manipulating other citizens! Please make sure you are staying inside your homes in a hidden place that is safe.” The TV switched off right after showing multiple replicas of Stoneheart, running around.

“Marinette…”

“I’ll do it Tikki. How do you transform?”

“You have to know a few things first. Remember to find the akumatized item and purify the akuma. That’s the most important part. Chat Noir is your partner and you have to work together to find where the akuma is hiding. Okay?”

“What about my ankle?”

“Once you transform, your suit will heal you. ‘ _ Tikki, transforme moi _ ’ is how you can transform. Are you ready?”

“Tikki, transforme-moi?” Marinette replies meekly. Was she really capable of being a superhero?

Suddenly, a pink light flashes over her body and a few moments later, she finds herself in a red spandex suit with black polka dots. Her hands fly up to her cheek and she notices a mask over her eyes.

_ This is actually pretty cool _ , is her first thought after transforming.

Using the trapdoor on her ceiling, she hoists herself up to the terrace. It’s pretty dark outside now that it’s late, so there’s not much of a chance of people seeing her. That, and the fact that people were people were probably too busy hiding.

Marinette looks below her and shivers. It was a steep terrace and she didn’t want a fall to render her useless for such a ridiculous reason. Stepping around, she notices that her ankle had stopped throbbing in pain and had started feeling normal.

She notices a yoyo tied around her waist and removes it, wondering how it would aid her.  _ ‘Use it to leap, Marinette. Don’t be afraid. I’m with you _ .’ Tikki’s voice snaps her out of her reverie as she vaults the yoyo to a nearby building. It follows through as she’s suddenly flying through the air, nearly slamming into a wall if she hadn’t caught herself at the last moment.

_ Okay, that wasn’t so bad _ , she thinks.

She vaults the yoyo again, and she’s almost proud of finally getting the hang of it. That is, until she crashes into another figure. Groaning, she looks to find herself wrapped up, face to face with none other than Chat Noir.

“Chat Noir! I-” She starts to say until she sees him frown.

“Who are you?”


	4. Chapter 4

“Didn't your kwami tell you? I’m-” Marinette began until she was interrupted.

“Do you think you could maybe tell me after you've untied us?” Chat Noir said with a scowl.

“Oh! Yeah! Let me do that first.” She giggled with uncertainty, while using her fingers to pull the yoyo string out from where it had gotten stuck on the lampost. “Sorry about that. Are you...are you okay?” She asked after noticing the tensed features on his face.

Chat took a deep breath and willed himself not to erupt in a fit. What was wrong with him? He was usually so calm and composed, but it was after he’d received the miraculous that he began to feel more emotionally drained. He made a mental note to ask Plagg about it later, but for now, he would need to think about the task at hand clearly.

“I apologize for my rude behavior. It’s just that...never mind. So...are you supposed to be my new partner? I’m known as Chat Noir, but you probably knew that.” He cracked a sheepish smile while running a gloved hand through his unruly hair. If they were supposed to be partners, it was better if they started out on the right foot.

It was then when he saw her beautiful cerulean eyes, surrounded by a spotted mask. They were so similar to…He shook his head as he heard her shaky voice.

“Er...I’m...uh, well...” She fidgeted with her yoyo, causing is to slip out of her grasp and hit his shoulder painfully. He suppressed a grunt as she spewed out apologies. “I’m so sorry! Just madly clumsy, I guess.”

“Don’t worry, clumsy girl. You’ll get used to your new powers soon. For now, we need to go and defeat Stoneheart.You’ve heard about him, yeah?”

“Of course! I watch the news too you know!” He smirked, delighted to see her assertive side.

* * *

 Suddenly a series of roars shook the earth as the two teens vaulted quickly through the buildings of Paris. “There!” Marinette shouted, pointing to the Eiffel Tower. Even from a distance, both of them could tell that the monster was three times as larger than they’d seen before.

This Stoneheart seemed to be the new and improved version as well. He appeared to be able to shoot lasers from the fingertips of his right hand, turning panicking civilians into large boulders resembling the shape of an obelisk. His other hand was in a tight fist, seeming to be hiding something.

 **“MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG! I’M COMING FOR YOU!”** Stoneheart roared as he headed in the direction of the bakery that was Marinette’s home.

“No! That’s my mother and father’s...um favorite bakery! They’ll be so devastated to find it destroyed!” Marinette cried. Chat just looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “What? They do have some of _the best_ baked goods in probably all of France!”

“We don’t have time to waste. He’s targeting a girl named Marinette. Apparently, she told him something that made him incredibly mad. The akuma probably got him after that. Okay, enough talking. Let’s go!”

* * *

 They’d almost gotten to the bakery before the rock monster had until an excited feminine voice stopped their tracks. “Oh my god! Here it is, live! Chat Noir and a spotted lady is here! Is this supposed to be Chat Noir’s new partner?” Alya stood next to the bakery, showing absolutely no sign of fear at all of the coming rock monster that was currently rampaging the area. She held her phone to Marinette’s lips who’s eyes widened in surprise.

“So, who are you? Are you another hero of Paris? What’s your name?” Alya pressed, cornering Marinette and Chat into the wall.

“Um, yeah. I’m newly recruited, I guess? You can call me...um,” She looked down at her scarlet shaded spotted suit, “Ladybug! I’m Ladybug. Chat and I will save Paris, don’t worry!” Ladybug looked ahead of Alya’s shoulder, where Stoneheart was nearly approaching the bakery ahead of her.

“We gotta go, um, Alya, is it? Now!” Chat said vaulting over Alya, with Ladybug behind him, defending the bakery.

“I’m gonna go and get the workers out of there!” Ladybug cried, running into the shop, where she saw her mother and father cornered into a small space.

“Hi Mama- I mean Ma’am and Monsieur. I’m Ladybug, and I’m going to try to help you out of the bakery. It seems like this monster is targeting your daughter specifically, but don’t worry. Chat and I will be here to protect you.” Ladybug stated, leading them outside the glass doors and into a nearby alley. “I have to go now. Trust us and everything will be fine.”

As she started to head into the opening, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Looking back, she saw her Maman with tears filling her eyes. “My daughter, Marinette, was still in her room before the monster arrived. We didn’t get any chance to see if she was okay or to help her out of the room. Please, Ladybug, will you protect my daughter from this monster? Can you make sure that she’s safe and protected? As a mother, that’s all I ask of you.” Tom Dupain had his bulky arms wrapped comfortingly around Sabine’s small frame. He stroked her midnight hair soothingly.

Ladybug had to refrain from gasping in shock at seeing them...well, not fighting for once. She almost started to cry at her parent's loving glances towards each other, not being able to remember the last time they were truly happy with each other. She took deep breaths and bit her lip to keep the tears from spilling over.

“Don’t worry so much, Sabine. If Ladybug says that she will help us, then we must put our faith in her. I don’t know the monster, or who created it, but I do know that we can trust this girl.” He looked at Ladybug, “As a matter of fact, you seem to be the same age as her. The build, height, hair and the eyes...that’s an uncanny coincidence right there. How strange.” He stated, deep in thought.

Ladybug cleared her throat, turning professional again. She couldn't risk her parent's safety because she was too emotional. “Er, well, I have to go back now to help Chat save your daughter. I promise your daughter...did you say her name was Marinette? Yes, she will be alright. Leave it on Chat Noir and me.” After flashing a nervous grin, she ran into the clearing where Chat was using his baton to ward off the rock creature, being careful so that he didn’t get hit by the red lasers that were coming off of Stoneheart’s pointer finger. Alya was still there, filming the fight, oblivious to any harm that could possibly come to her.

“Ladybug, I need you to help Marinette while I try to stop this guy. She’s probably still in her room, up there!” He pointed to the terrace above the bakery. He winced as he remembered their interaction with Stoneheart earlier, where she’d been rendered injured on her leg.

“I, uh, rescued Marinette before I met up with you. She’s perfectly safe.” Ladybug stated.

“Oh, really? Well, I guess that’s good because now, we can finally defeat this guy. You remember how, right? Did your kwami tell you?”

“Yeah! Cover me! I need to think for a moment.”

“Okay, but hurry up! I don’t know how much longer I can do this for.” Chat went back to Stoneheart, barely being able to dodge the menacing lasers shooting out from the stone monster's fingertips.

Summoning her power by yelling “Lucky Charm!”, she received a pogostick that fell from above into her covered hands. Eyeing it wearily, she voiced, “What am I supposed to do with this?” Looking around as her mind quickly connected the dots, she finally understood what to do.

* * *

 It took some time for her and Chat to convey to each other on what they needed to do since this was their first time fighting an akuma together. However, once they both were at the same point of view, their moves fell into sync as they fought together, as one in the same.

Ladybug grabbed the crumpled piece of paper of Stoneheart’s closed fist as he narrowingly missed her with his laser. She ripped it in half, and watched as the akumatized butterfly flew out and away from the paper. Rushing to grab it, she flung her yoyo upwards, watching as the yoyo captured the butterfly and let it back out into the world, purified back into its white state.

“Bye, bye, little butterfly.” Ladybug couldn’t help but say as she and Chat gazed at the fluttering insect, flying away with the breeze.

Quickly recalling what she needed to do next, she shouted, “Miraculous Ladybug!” as a swarm of ladybugs fluttered around, turning everything (and everyone) back to how it was before Stoneheart. People stood on the streets once again, rather than large boulders.

Ladybug held her fist out in front of Chat, her new partner and he hesitated for a moment before he bumped his fist with hers, both congratulating each other on the work well done with a “pound it”.

“So, my lady, we make a pretty good team, don’t you think?” Chat asked her, a cheshire grin appearing.

She giggled, “Yeah, I guess we do.”

They heard a deep groan behind them, which they saw that Ivan was back to normal, scratching the back of his neck.

“Uh, what happened?”

* * *

Chat Noir and Ladybug went back to Tom and Sabine, telling them about their victory and about how they promised to keep everyone safe if anything like this happened again.

Reporters (including, Alya, of course) had crowded around the superhero duo, asking them loads of questions, any of which both Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn’t answer, With the exhaustion of the day’s events creeping up on her and only eight minutes left before she changed back, Ladybug decided that she’d had enough.

Using her yoyo, she vaulted herself onto a high beam. The reporters and the Parisians looked above as she stood there facing all of them as Chat joined her.

“People of Paris, we are ready to help you in any situation. Consider us as your resident superheroes. But even though many of the questions you may have might be valid, we cannot answer them all because we don’t have the answer either.”

Chat spoke next, “However, we will be there to protect all of you. We are here to provide you with a feeling a safety if this ever does happen again. The news outlets helped us today with a notification of this akuma, Stoneheart, and it helped both of us get here as fast as possible. If you can all alert the civilians about any situation like this in the future. It would be greatly appreciated.”

Ladybug took over, “Remember, our main priority is to keep everyone safe. You can trust us, Ladybug and Chat Noir, to always be there in your time of need!” She finished as the crowd erupted in cheers.

Chat placed a gentle gloved hand on her shoulder. “You did good, Buginette.”

* * *

When Marinette arrived home that night, she was immediately showered with hugs and kisses from her parents. She felt content, knowing that she’d helped save Paris. And with Chat Noir…

Tikki came to view as soon her her parents finally left. “Good job, Marinette! That was absolutely impressive for your first time defeating an akuma. And look, the ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ even healed your wound from Stoneheart.” The kwami sat on her holder’s shoulder.

Looking down at her leg, Marinette inspected it closely. The skin was healthy and pink and there was no sign of scarring or irritation. It was like it never happened. “Thanks Tikki. I guess you’re right,” She yawned, “I’m going to bed. That was a long day.”

* * *

 At school the next day, the first thing Marinette noticed was Mylène and Ivan sharing a hug. She smiled to herself.

Then, Alya ran up to her and given her a large hug and gushed about how she’d seen Ladybug and Chat Noir up close.

“I even created a new blog dedicated to them.” Whipping out her phone, now clad with ladybug and cat charms. “Here it is: The LadyChat Blog! What do you think of the name? LadyChat?”

“I think it's great, Alya! Congratulations!”

“Don’t worry, girl. I’m sure you’ll get to meet Ladybug and Chat Noir one day too. Just you wait.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to portray Ladybug and Chat Noir as equals in my story. In the show, I feel as if Ladybug is slightly more appreciated than Chat, when they both showed be praised equally.


	5. Chapter 5

>2018<

 

Marinette read the texts that Alya had sent her just seconds ago.

_ Alya: I just invited the guys to that new amusement park that just opened up. And guess what? _

She shook her head at her friend’s behavior. Then again, this was Alya they were talking about.

_ Mari: What? _

Not even a second later, a message popped up on the screen.

_ Alya: Adrien asked if you were going to be there! I said yes, of course! _

_ Alya: Girl, you know what this means, right? _

Marinette sighed. She and Adrien had become extremely close friends in the course the the past few months, when they had first met. She’d forgiven him about the gum incident,  _ of course. _

How couldn’t she have after he’d offered him his umbrella in the pouring rain after explaining the entire ordeal? He seemed so genuine, it was hard not to believe him after he poured his heart out for her.

* * *

 

_ She was not having a good day.  _

_ Sure the day had started out really well (aside from her parents’ arguing, but they still acknowledged that she was safe and alive, which had made her feel at least somewhat important). She’d allowed herself to believe that her parents had finally given up the constant bickering, based on how much closer they seemed to have gotten when she seemed to be in danger from Stoneheart. _

_ But no, fate apparently had other plans. _

_ Chloe had teased her all day about the crybaby she was and how she was so cruel to Ivan, enough to make him turn into a monster all out of revenge. _

_ And now, it had suddenly started to pour outside. _

_ Maybe I’ll just have to wait it out, she thought. _

_ At that moment, Adrien walked outside, noticing her standing there in the rain. She looked at him with a scowl on her face. It was best for her not to talk to people like him. Having on Chloe in her class was horrible enough. How would she ever handle being in a class all year with  _ two  _ Chloes? _

_ He opened his mouth to say something, but she had beaten him to it. “I don’t need to hear you say anything. I know what you people are like and I don’t need you to come and ruin my life even more than Chloe already has.” She crossed her arms and looked away from him. _

_ There was a slight pause. “You don’t ever listen, do you?” His voice broke through her anger and it held only held admiration. _

_ “Excuse me?” _

_ “I can understand what you think about me, judging from the way Chloe acts, but-” _

_ “I’m not interested in what you have to say.” _

_ “Just give me two minutes, Marinette. Please. If you don’t want to listen to me after that, then I understand. But...just hear me out.” _

_ “Fine.” _

_ “Chloe was my first friend that I ever made. She’s the only friend I’ve ever made in my entire life. I know that she acts conceited at times, but that’s only an act. I’ve never been to public school before, Marinette.” He paused to take a breath. “In fact, my father never let me go before. I had to beg him to let me go. I just wanted to make friends and have a little freedom that I’ve never been able to have before. As for the gum, Chloe put the gum on your seat. I was only trying to take it off when you came and accused me. I’m sorry if I ever gave you a reason to feel hurt because of what you thought were my actions.” _

_ She looked at the blond boy standing in front of her and she found nothing less than genuinity in his kind expression. His steady gaze was full of truth and honesty, and she felt the tears rising in her eyes. Instead of trying to ward him off, she should have tried to help him. His apologetic voice broke her out of her thoughts. _

_ “Don’t cry, Marinette. I only ever wanted us to be friends.” He smiled at her, his green eyes vibrant and luminous in the gloomy weather. He held out his umbrella to her. “Here, take this.” She’d blinked at him, unsure of what to do before she ran into his arms and embraced him. _

_ Her words came out in a rushed garble. “I’m so sorry, Adrien. I should’ve listened to you before I accused you. I’m so so sorry.” She felt him stiffen in surprise for a moment before she felt his arms wrap around her own body, the dark umbrella now forgotten. The rain continued to fall around the two as they continued to embrace. _

_ Adrien chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. Friends?” _

_ She pulled away and grinned at him, before agreeing with him and squeezing him once more. A loud honk reverberated through the air as Adrien explained, “That’s my ride. Keep the umbrella!” He descended down the steps as she continued to wave goodbye to him, to which he reciprocated until he was out of her sight. _

Ever since Marinette explained to Alya that she and Adrien made up and were friends, Alya had only squealed in delight, a sound that she wasn’t sure she wanted her best friend ever to make again.

Alya wanted them to be together for some  _ crazy _ reason, and thought that they would make a cute couple.

But couldn’t she ever understand that she and Adrien were just friends? And really good friends at that?

She appreciated her friend’s attempts to “help” her discover that she was secretly harboring feelings for Adrien (that weren’t even there in the first place), but she would like it a lot more if Alya just minded her own business.

* * *

 

“Hey Marinette! Hi Alya!” Adrien waved as soon as he saw her standing next to Alya. 

After a lot of begging from his father, he was finally allowed and given the permission to go. It had caused many arguments between them, but it was all worth it for him to see Marinette and spend an entire day with her. He was glad she forgave him from the gum incident and he had a chance to become friends with the truly wonderful person that she was.

He saw her turn her head to face him, her mouth widening into a large grin. Even from the large distance, he could see the way her beautiful cerulean eyes sparkled in excitement. She whispered something to Alya, which in return got her the response of a nod and a wink. He saw Marinette flush, the peachy color spreading around her cheeks in the most adorable of ways.

She walked over to him, grin still plastered on her face. She was wearing something a little different from her usual attire - a pair of dark washed denim shorts with a sleeveless white top that had small red flowers embroidered on to the hem. As she came closer, he took notice of the small freckles that were sprinkled on her shoulders, resembling stars on a dark night sky.

“Looks like someone’s especially happy to see me, huh?” He smirked, causing her to blush once again before slapping him playfully on the shoulder.

He felt Plagg pushing against the inside of his backpack, almost screaming, ‘Adrien, your Chat is showing!’

Adrien wasn’t supposed to be the one who smirked or the one who made the ridiculous amount of puns or flirted boundlessly with his Lady (and Marinette, as of lately). He was supposed to be the reserved, kind, gentlemanly son of Gabriel Agreste, astound fashion designer.

Definitely not someone with the personality of Chat Noir.

“Ha! You wish!” She giggled and he reveled in the sound, wishing for more. He loved to spend time with Marinette. She was such a lively person, so caring and thoughtful. She always stood up for what she believed in, and that passion and fire coursed through his soul.

Maybe it was just his enormous crush talking, but _ still. _

In a way, Marinette reminded him of Ladybug, who he’d developed a close bond with. She was so similar to Marinette, joyful and happy, but at times, she seemed uncertain about the situation.

Ladybug and Marinette were two girls in his life that he was extremely grateful to have in his life. Times with them (even if he’d only met them months ago) were precious to him and they were some of his best friends.

It made him think back to the happier times, not even an entire year ago. Memories of him and his mother. She was so lively and carefree, the opposite of his father. Even though he’d still been homeschooled, Adrien had his mother, who had been there to brighten up even his bleakest of days. He sifted through another joyful memory of her, when he was only six.

* * *

_ “Good night, Adrien.” His father’s voice cut through the peace of the night before closing the large wooden doors of Adrien’s room. _

_ He waited a while, chanting, ‘Mommy’s going to be here soon.’ _

_ As his eyes began to feel heavy, he heard the door click to reveal his mother, with a breathless grin. _

_ “Adrien! I’m sorry I came here so late.Did I wake you up, honey?” Her crisp, sweet-like-honey voice rang through the air softly. _

_ “No mommy. I’m still...” He yawned, which earned a giggle from his mother, “awake.” _

_ She walked over to him, sitting on the foot of the bed. She reached over to stroke his shaggy blonde hair, messy from hours of playing. Her fingers continued these ministrations on his scalp, making Adrien sigh in content. _

_ “Why did you come so late, mommy?” He’d felt her stiffen in surprise for a second, before slowly resuming her massages. _

_ “Your father and I were having a...discussion.” They both knew and understood that the ‘discussion’ was a heated argument, but neither moved to acknowledge the fact. _

_ “Do all married people have discussions, mommy?” _

_ She hummed, thinking for a moment. “Yes, honey. Every person that has a strong connection with another person has these discussions, sometimes. But...we have to understand that sometimes these discussions can make the connection between those two people stronger.” _

_ A silence permeated throughout the air. “You know what, Mommy?” _

_ “What, sweetheart?” _

_ “When I’m older, I’m going to marry you! And then, we can have discussions...all...the time…” He felt a soft touch on his hairline before he dozed off to sleep. _

* * *

 

“...drien? Adrien!” 

He shook his head and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw Marinette’s worried face looking back at him. “Huh?”

“Are you okay? You’ve been staring at me for the past five minutes with no response! I was about to call for help.”

“Oh! Sorry, Marinette. I was just, you know, lost in another one of those memories that I have about my...mom...” He trailed off, and Marinette completely understood. He would have instances of getting flashbacks of his mother suddenly, whenever and wherever he was. Sometimes, he would end up chuckling in the middle of class or start tearing up. The wound was still fresh in his mind as she’d died a not even a month prior and the topic was very sensitive.

Marinette suddenly embraced him, her body molding against his own.. She pulled away and he found that he craved for her touch once again. “Do you want to talk about it?” She asked, hesitantly.

They’d had instances like these before, and they both found that Adrien felt better if he talked about the flashback he had. In a way, Marinette was his own personal therapist. He hadn’t talked so deeply about his flashbacks, not even Nino. The only other person who listened to him intently was Ladybug.

“It was one of those good memories, I guess. It was actually kind of funny. I was only six and was going to bed and I remember mom coming into the room. I asked her about why she’d taken so long to tuck me into bed - she usually came within a few minutes.” Adrien smiled at the memory. “Anyway, I asked her about why she came so late and she said that she and my father were having a ‘discussion’.” He put imaginary air quotes for emphasis to which Marinette looked at him quizzically.

“Discussion?”

“My mom and I both knew that it was actually an argument, but we never tried to correct each other. I guess we both tried to avoid talking about it. She told me that “discussions” were sometimes necessary in a relationship and that they made a bond between the two people stronger.”

“Your mom seemed to be a great person. I would’ve loved to meet her.”

“Yeah, and she would’ve loved to meet you too. But I didn’t even get to the good part yet. Get this - I told her that I would marry her when I was older and have discussions with her all the time!” He watched in delight as Marinette doubled over in laughter.

“You seriously wanted to  _ marry _ her?”

“Hey, I was only six! You can’t blame me about saying that.”

“I can imagine the whole thing. Six year old Adrien down on one knee with a ridiculously large 11 karat diamond ring in front of his shocked mother. Now  _ that _ is something that I would have payed to see!”

“Hey, Marinette?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for cheering me up. I really needed that now.”

“Adrien, you should know that I’ll always be here with you. I won’t let you deal with her loss on your own. As one of your best friends, I promise.” She finished solemnly, and her unwavering gaze was nothing but genuine. It was both Marinette and Ladybug who reminded him the most of his mother, but surprisingly, they both made it easier for him to deal with her loss.

“Come on,” She grabbed his hand, pulling him forward, “let’s go get some cotton candy!”

He let her pull him to a stall, which had a very large line. “Judging from the size of this line, it seems to be really good.” He commented.

Marinette gasped. “Have you, Adrien Agreste, never been able to have the privilege of eating the delightfulness that is cotton candy?!”

He shook his head, “No, Father never allowed it. Model diet and all. But it’s okay, really! I’ll be able to try it with you for the first time.”

“Even though I might be your father’s largest fan, I might not be able to let him escape my clutches once I meet him face to face. I mean, cotton candy is the world’s tastiest confectionary treat that ever existed! I mean, no offence to my parents, but come on! You are so deprived of your childhood!”

She probably would have continued ranting, but the lady in the booth doing the sales for the cotton candy interrupted her.

“Hi, what type of cotton candy would you like to buy?”

“Can we have the largest size in the rainbow flavor, please? Thank you!” Marinette whipped out her wallet.

“Marinette, I’ll pay.”

“No, Adrien. Consider this payback for not eating the best sweet thing that ever existed in the world.” She smirked as the lady in front handed them change and the largest mound of cotton candy he’d ever seen.

“Each color is a different flavor. Try it out!” He hesitantly plucked a part of the red section, and was delighted when he found that it tasted like fresh strawberries.

“Wow! I can’t believe that I’ve been missing out on this!”

Marinette smiled, “I told you so, Adrien.”

“Hey guys! We’ve been looking for you all over!” Nino exclaimed, arms flailing around for demonstration.

“Did you guys run off to make out, maybe?” Alya accused, her smile widening into a smirk.

Adrien felt a strong heat bloom over his cheeks. He looked to Marinette, who once again wore a similar rosy shade of pink over her complexion. She shook her head vigorously. “What?! No, Alya. Of course not!”

“Then why are you two blushing like crazy, right now? Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Alya! I was just showing, er, Adrien, how good this cotton candy is. See?” She pointed to the bag for explanation.

“Relax, I was just teasing. No need to get so worked up! Unless…”

“Alya!” Marinette chastised.

“Okay, okay!” Alya held up her arms in surrender.

The day went by in a blur. 

* * *

Everyone was tired and exhausted, but obviously happy. Nino and Alya were off doing some couples’ ride, while Marinette and Adrien were on the Ferris Wheel, watching the sunset together.

“It’s so beautiful here.” Marinette commented, eyes shining as a lazy smile slipped over her face.

She looked so beautiful, here in the sunset. Her midnight hair was free from its usual confines of the pigtails, and it flowed until her shoulders like a graceful waterfall. Her freckles were most visible in this light, and he could count all of them if he wanted to. Her lips looked soft and plump and were parted in awe. And most of all, her eyes were wide as they watched the sunset, the cerulean sparkling in wonder in the sun’s last rays.

Anyone would have fallen in love with her for just her looks; she was just that beautiful. But Adrien had gotten to know her better in the last few months they were friends and he learned more about her than he could ever have bargained for. He loved the way she stood up to the Chloe, the way she bit her lip when she was thinking, her thoughtfulness, and kindness that she showed to everyone around her.

He knew that her parents fought at home, but how she still managed to be happy was above him. She was truly a miracle and he thanked luck for bringing her into his life.

He wanted to kiss her right then and there. But he couldn’t do that because he knew that she didn’t have any feelings for him. They only had a platonic relationship and he didn’t want to ruin anything that they had created. Being her friend was enough for now.

Her voice broke him out of his thoughts. “Hey, Adrien?”

“Yeah?”

“Promise me that we’ll always be friends. No matter what happens.”

“I promise? Weren’t we always going to be friends anyway?” He pondered aloud.

“I mean, we’ve become so close...and I don’t want anything to happen that might get in the way of our friendship. You get what I mean?” She explained, expression suddenly turning forlorn.“Marinette, look at me,” She turned to face him, “We’ll always be friends. No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you. I promise.” He vowed, never wanting to lose her friendship for any matter.

She squeezed his hand in return, a sweet smile gracing her features once again. “Me too.”


	6. Chapter 6

**2020**

Marinette was upstairs in her room, sketching frantically. Tikki’s small figure loomed from above, observing her chosen with admiration. Soon, the scribbles turned into flowy lines and the lines turned into a dress. She eyed the sketched dress, looking for any imperfections.

“What do you think, Tikki?” she asked, eyeing her kwami thoughtfully.

The little ladybug kwami flew in front of Marinette, smiling proudly. “It’s beautiful, Marinette! I’m glad you chose to take action instead of just sitting around and waiting for something to happen.”

Marinette huffed, “I still don’t understand why companies don’t try and market clothing items that are for more, well, petite and small people. It’s not like  _ every  _ girl in Paris is six feet tall and stick thin.”

Both kwami and girl looked back at the sketchbook, the page illuminated under the soft light of the desk lamp to the side. The dress flowed down to the figure’s calves, being a midi dress. The sapphire hue of the dress flowed downwards like a dark waterfall, mysterious and elegant. Black lace outlined the cinched waist and hem and little sequins that looked like stars embellished the bodice.

Suddenly, Marinette’s mother’s voice broke through silence causing them both to jump slightly. “Marinette! You’ve been up there for such a long time now. Dinner’s almost ready so come and help me set the table. Your father and I have something we need to tell you.” Marinette looked outside her window, the streets of Paris darkened under the faint glow from the moon.

How had time gone by so quickly? It was already 9:00 in the night.

“Coming, maman!” She yelled through her trapdoor. “I wonder what she and Papa will want to tell me. They’ve never done this before, Tikki. Don’t you think that it’s a little bit strange?”

The ladybug kwami shrugged, “I don’t know, Marinette. But I’m sure you’ll find out soon.” For some strange reason, the kwami had a feeling of dread wash upon her. To be honest, she didn’t want Marinette to go and listen to what her parents had to say tonight.

It was an uneasy feeling, but she pushed it down, thinking she was worrying for nothing.

“I’m going downstairs, Tikki. I guess I’m about to find out.” Marinette opened the trapdoor, with Tikki streaming behind her protectively. She hid behind a potted plant as she watched Marinette set the table.

Her mother brought in the dinner, and as she sat down, her father did as well. “It was a busy day at the bakery today, huh, Sabine?”

Marinette didn’t miss the way her mother frowned, unappreciative of the comment. “Do you really have to ask? You know how it was today. What good is it to ask for my opinion?”

“It was just a question, Sabine! I didn’t mean anything by it! Why do you have to make a big deal out of everything?” Her father exclaimed, tips of his ears turning red with anger.  

“I wasn’t! I didn’t even make a big deal! You were the one who asked me about today! Maybe you shouldn’t have asked. You already know what happened, so what was the point of asking me?!”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have…!”

“STOP!” Marinette yelled, unable to bear another moment of her parents’ fighting. “Why do you always fight? Do you even think about how I feel anymore?” Her parents looked at her, faces flushed. Her voice dropped to a faint whisper, and silence reverberated throughout the room. “I hate it when you fight. You never used to and now, it’s so common for you to be arguing every minute of the day.  I don’t think there was any moment where I didn’t hear fighting.”

Tears came flowing out of her eyes, like a dam that had broken through, wrecking havoc with the spilled water that came with it. “I used to think of you guys as an example of the perfect couple, soulmates who were destined to be together forever. It’s silly when I think of it now.” She sniffed, taking a deep breath. “Maman, you told me there was something you and Papa had to tell me. What is it?”

Her mother suddenly looked strangely guilty and her father looked away as well. “We’re sorry, Marinette, that we’ve made you feel that way. But we wanted to tell you that...well…I...” Sabine looked at Tom, “I-I can’t do it. You tell her.” With that, her mother stormed out of the dining hall.

“What? What is it, Papa?” Marinette inquired. She saw her father cast a guilty glance at her before taking out an orange folder that said ‘documents’ on the front cover. Confused, she stared at the folder until her father took out some documents. She got a glance of one word that stole her breath away and threatened to destroy her.

‘It can’t be…’ Her mind argued with her until her father sighed once more that gave her the affirmation of the fact. However, she couldn’t dare say the word to herself, in case this was just a nightmare. She pinched her arm inconspicuously and squeezed her eyes shut.

‘It’s no more than a dream. Wake up, Marinette!’ She plead desperately with herself.

When she opened her eyes once more, she was still in the same place, with her father still eyed the documents with pain clouding his usually vibrant green eyes.

‘No! This can’t be happening!’ She pinched herself over and over again, red blooming on the inside of her arm. The pain (both mentally and physically) made the tears rise in her eyes, but she bit her lip to keep them from spilling over.

“I...I don’t know how to say this, Marinette. But your mother and I...we’re getting a divorce.” The statement hit Marinette like a ton of bricks and she struggled to keep standing. Tears spilled over, and they pricked her eyes.

She looked at her father. Her voice was pitiful and small even to her own ears as she heard herself speak. “You..Maman...divorce?” They were the only words that she managed to say. Her father nodded slightly. “I don’t...I don’t know what to s-say…I just can’t...believe…” Her mouth felt dry and the saliva stuck heavily to the roof of her mouth. She imagined it would take gallons of water to quench the dryness there. Her heart hammered like the galloping of a thousand horses.

_ “No”  _ was all that came out of her mouth as realization set in.

Her parents would be getting divorced.

They weren’t happy together.

No longer would they be a happy family.

And somehow, she knew, that it was all her fault.

_ All her fault. _

_ HER  _ FAULT.

Unable to stay any longer, she ran up to her room, slamming the trapdoor, and fell on to her bed, sobbing. The usual comfort of the soft mattress now felt like a bed of hard rock and she winced in pain through the tears. She heard Tikki’s voice, quiet and apologetic. “I’m so so sorry, Marinette. I can’t even imagine the pain you must be feeling.”

Marinette forced a sardonic smile through her tears, “This must be the universe’s way of p-punishing me, right? What did I do wrong?”

* * *

Chat Noir vaulted through the streets of Paris with an excited fervor. His father had decided to eat dinner with him for the first time in…

Actually, he couldn’t even remember the last time his father had willingly offered to eat dinner with him. Call him silly for acting like a little boy, but it was a big change in his life.

He had to admit that he was a little wary and suspicious of the newfound interest at first, but that feeling had almost gone away.

_ Almost. _

A word that meant so close, but not nearly close enough.

The sudden blast of wind whipped his golden hair back and the sudden piercing of the wind caused his eyes to water. He grinned and ran through the rooftops, faster and faster. Laughter streamed out of his mouth and the sheer thrill made his speed accelerate even more.

He couldn’t wait to tell Marinette of the development. She had tried giving him advice about approaching his aloof father and it had worked.

His friendship with her as Adrien had only solidified. When she wasn’t with Alya, she was with him. And he truly enjoyed her company.

But there was something about visiting her as Chat Noir that made his time with her even more special than it already was. His alter-ego personality didn’t hold back. He was free to do as he chose and there wasn’t a certain stigma tied to his family name. His actions were bolder and he could show much more emotion as Chat than he ever could as Adrien.

He truly loved Marinette with every fiber of his being. And it wasn’t because of her looks. She  _ was _ the most beautiful girl he’d ever known, but something else drew him towards her. She was like a bright flame in his dark world. She was there for him when no one else was. And he loved her for it.

He finally reached her terrace, bending down to tap on the window. Marinette did allow him to come in whenever he wanted to, but he respected her too much to just barge in when he wanted to.

He waited, but there was no response. He hesitantly opened the window, stooping downwards to come into her room. There was an eerie silence and it was apparent that she wasn’t there. He turned to go, disappointed, but then he saw a glimpse of her midnight hair and his heart soared. Cautiously, he walked over to her and found her sleeping. Her cheeks were flushed a vibrant red.

Alarmed, he touched her forehead with the back of his hand to check if she was running a fever. Her skin did feel slightly warm, even through his gloves, but it wasn’t enough for him to raise concern. He came closer and saw a faint glistening on her cheeks.

Were those tears?

He looked at her once more and came to the conclusion that she had been crying, and not too long ago. Anger bloomed in his chest.

Who had dared to make his princess cry?

His vision became rimmed by red. He strung a furious hand through his hair, trying to smooth it back, only to have it spring forward in his eyes again. And then he saw that her eyes were open, bloodshot and watery, looking at him. His eyes widened and he let a quick stream of apologies.

“Oh, shoot. I’m sorry for waking you up, Princess.” He felt guilty for waking her up. She sniffled, but looked at him with dulled blue eyes. She sat up in her bed, head hung low.

“Oh. Hey.” Her soft voice held such a deep sense of sadness and guilt. He knew because he had felt the same way when his mother had left him. He couldn’t stand to watch Marinette be hurting.

He sat down next to her and gently pried, “What happened? Did someone do something?”

She turned to face him as tears began to gather in her beautiful eyes. They didn’t deserve to be there. She couldn’t bear to look at him so she turned her attention down to her lap. Biting her lip, she tried to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out, no matter how much she tried to.

Her resolve crumbled completely and fell apart. Stifling a sob, she launched herself in Chat’s arms, finding a little bit of comfort there. She buried her face in his chest, crying and sobbing, willing the pain to go away. Meanwhile, Chat’s hands rubbed soothing circles onto her back and murmured words of comfort into her hair.

She didn’t know how long she cried for, but it felt like hours. She pulled away and swiped at the remaining tears streaked over her face. “Chat,” Her voice broke at the end, “my parents. They’re getting div-orced.” She choked over the word, feeling it coat her mouth like poison.

Chat couldn’t help the gasp escape from his mouth. “Oh, Marinette. I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how you’d be feeling.” He’d known, of course, that her parents fought and argued on a daily basis.

He just never expected for it to go this far.

Marinette had explained her parents to him one day. She explained that they were so in love just a few months prior. But one day, they just started fighting out of nowhere and it had just escalated from there.

“It’s all my fault.” Her voice broke him out of his thoughts as he looked at her once more.

“What? Why do you say that?” He asked.

“I don’t know! I just know...that maybe I should’ve done something. Tried harder.” Her voice broke.

Chat felt angry. How could she say that it was her fault?

“Marinette, look at me.” He urged her, but she continued looking down at the floor. He tilted her chin upwards so she could look at him. There was so much pain hidden behind those eyes. It hurt him deeply to see her in such a state. He urged  _ himself  _ to hold her gaze, while he knew that his own eyes were filling up with tears.

“What could you have done, Marinette? There was nothing you could’ve done to stop this from happening.  _ It wasn’t your fault _ .” He enunciated every word so she could understand him better

“You don’t know that, Chat. You don’t know. I don’t know either. And that’s why...that’s why I know it’s my fault. Who else could it have been but me? I’m the one to blame for my own problems. I’m sorry you had to see me like this, Chat. You don’t need to worry. I guess I’ll get what I finally deserve, right?”

No, _ no. _

“No, Marinette. You’re wrong. Your parents love you very much. I can see it in their expression when I see them sometimes. I know what it means to be uncaring. My father was always like that. I always wondered why he never wanted to spend time with me. But over these years, I’ve learned that he does care. In his own way.” He paused, looking deep into her eyes, trying to convince her. “So you see, Princess? It’s their own problems that are plaguing them. Not us. Do you understand?” He felt a little proud when he saw a small nod.

“Say it with me, Princess. It’s not your fault.”

“It’s not...my fault.” She whispered, and the words wrapped around her protectively, giving her hope and encouragement. “It’s not my fault.” She exclaimed, a little louder.

She felt the words seep deep into her bones. It really wasn’t her fault.

She hadn’t done anything wrong, so why was she blaming herself?

Her heart swelled with gratitude as she looked over Chat. Leave it to him to save her from her physical and mental problems. She could always count on him to make her feel better.

She loved him so much. He was such a blessing that arrived in her life a few years ago and she felt like her heart was in good hands. Suddenly, she lurched forward and wrapped him in an enormous hug. He almost fell back on the bed by the sudden movement, but was able to stabilize himself.

He wrapped his arms around her, relishing the feeling of her in his arms.

How she fit against him perfectly.   

“Thank you, Chat.” She buried her face in the side of his shoulder, while he pulled her tighter against him.

“Anytime, Princess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> Tom and Sabine are getting divorced (why am I so heartless?). Personally, my parents aren’t divorced so I really have no idea how it might feel like for someone whose parents are going through this/already gone through it. I do have some friends who have gone through this situation and I asked them a lot of questions about their feelings and what it's like. I hope I did the whole thing justice and shed light on how it might be like for someone to be in this situation. If you're in a situation like this, remember, it's never your fault. Marinette and Adrien are about 16-17 years old in this. 
> 
> Thank you for all the support you all have given me thus far. It's been a pleasure to write for such a lovely group of people. Have a great day!


	7. Chapter 7

**2021**

Today was the day.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were finally going to find Hawkmoth and defeat him. To say that they were nervous was an understatement.

They were absolutely  _ terrified. _

They had faced the relentless akumas that this man had created, fighting each of them off, one by one. This man, who had the audacity to put other people at risk because of his own personal intentions, whatever they were.

* * *

Marinette sat on her bed, reviewing the plan with Tikki once more. Her father had gotten custody of her and her mother had moved away to China to live with her grandmother. She was glad that she was with her father, because it would’ve been hard to move to China and still save Paris on a daily basis. However, she hadn’t seen her mother in such a long time, and she missed her so much. If everything went well, she would be on her way to China in a couple of days to see her again.

Chat had tried to convince her that the divorce wasn’t her fault, and she did believe it for a while. But as time went on, she began to believe once again, that it was still her fault. She didn’t bother to tell Chat again because she didn’t want him to worry about her. That was the last thing she needed right now.

So she just stayed quiet, biting her lip hard when she had to lie through her teeth when he asked about how she was doing. She had to blink multiple times for the tears to go away, and smile like she truly meant every word she was saying. It had gotten so easy to lie that she did it without thinking. Even Tikki wasn’t aware of her true feelings.

Which was how she wanted it to be.

“You and Chat have to follow the akuma after its purified.” Tikki stated as she nodded. Hawkmoth continued to send out akumas every day so waiting for the akuma to come wouldn’t be a problem. It was mentally and physically exhausting but if she could finally defeat him today, they wouldn’t ever need to worry about him ever again.

“It’ll be difficult because akumas don’t like to be followed. That, and Hawkmoth will do everything to try and ward you off his path once he finds out that both of you are coming for him. Once you find him, you have to take his miraculous off of him. That’s the only way he’ll be left vulnerable and unable to attack both of you. If he gets both of your miraculouses before you get his, it’ll be next to impossible to defeat him then. He’ll have the ultimate power at his disposal and will do anything to destroy you. The power will blind and corrupt him and he will be ruthless and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Do you understand, Marinette?”

“I think so. But I’m scared, Tikki. What if I fail and he  _ does _ get the ultimate power? What happens then?” Marinette couldn’t stand to look at Tikki in the eye. She didn’t want to be viewed as more of a failure than she already had.

More than that, she didn’t want to disappoint Chat and Tikki if she did fail.

“I trust you, Marinette. I chose you to wield the ladybug miraculous for a reason. You won’t fail. I have faith in you. But more than that, you have to have faith in yourself.”

“I-” An akuma alert cut her off as she was about to answer.

Tikki grinned at her sweetly, “You know the words.”

Marinette sighed, “Tikki, transform me!” She felt the magic sweep over her body and relished the comfortable feeling. She jumped up onto her balcony and vaulted away.

“Hey, my lady. Are you ready to end this once and for all?” Ladybug jumped at the sound of his voice, deep and smooth like melted chocolate. He smirked and she couldn’t help but blush a little. He’d definitely grown more mature in the last few years and so much more attractive too. She was glad the mask hid half of her face.

“Totally. Let’s do this.”

* * *

Finding the akuma and defeating it was easy.

In fact, it was one of the easiest akumas they’d ever defeated. The entire ordeal had taken fifteen minutes when an average fight would take up to an hour or more.

Now came the hard part.

“We can’t let the akuma get away.” Ladybug stated, using her yoyo to jump off a building. Nerves continued to build up in the pit of her stomach, and she almost stumbled, but didn’t stop running.

“I’ll go low and you go high. That’ll make it easier for both of us to keep the akuma in our sight.” Chat said and she nodded. She watched as he shifted lower. The akuma seemed determined to be out of their sight. There were times where she thought she lost it, but the Chat would tell her that he could see it. She would exhale in relief and continue running.

They ran and ran for countless hours. They took time to recharge and continued following the butterfly through the city. The moon hung low in the dark sky.

“What time is it?” Chat’s voice was laced with weariness.

She coughed, feeling like her body would give out anytime soon. They’d been running for so long and she felt like passing out. Sweat dripped off of her suit and clung to her forehead. Checking her yoyo, she called out to him, “It’s...5:30 AM.”

She heard Chat groan. “God, I’m so tired. I don’t know how much longer I can do this for.”

Ladybug halted to a stop as she saw the purified butterfly fly through an open window of an oddly familiar large structure that she couldn’t see clearly in the darkness of the night. “Chat! It went through that window! Oh my god.” She pointed up to where the butterfly had gone. She saw his eyes widen slightly and his expression changed completely.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” She asked, worried about him.

“Nothing,” He growled. “Let’s just get this over with.” He attempted to go forward, but she put a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait. We should plan this first.”

“No. If we plan this, we might mess up. We just have to wing it.” He went towards the building again.

“But-”

“But nothing. Did you recognize that building? That’s Gabriel Agreste’s house. I knew that there was something strange about that man.” His expression was livid. He strung a hand through his hair. “Everything about that man was a lie. I knew it.” Ladybug thought about Adrien, one of her best friends besides Chat and Alya. He’d be heartbroken to discover that his father was a villain. Her heart hurt for him.

“Chat?” Ladybug had never seen him like this. What was the relation between Chat Noir and Gabriel for him to act like this?

“Come on, Ladybug. Let’s go.” And with that he was off. She sighed as she followed him.

When they got in through the window, both superheroes cautiously looked around. Hundreds of white butterflies fluttered around the room. The room was dimly lit only by the moon.

“Hello, Ladybug and Chat Noir. I’m so very pleased to see both of you.” A man’s voice broke them out of their trance. They took out their weapons, ready to use them if need be. A figure emerged from the center of the room, the light falling on his figure as he walked closer and closer to them. He had a metallic silver colored mask that covered most of his face, except for his mouth. He was wearing a suit that looked very professional. A bright butterfly brooch sat on the clavicle of his suit, which both Ladybug and Chat identified as the miraculous.

Chat Noir lunged forward to attack first, but was held back by Hawkmoth’s cane. “Tsk, tsk. So impatient.”

“I know who you are.” Chat grit his teeth and fought against the cane. “And we’ve come to stop you.”

If Hawkmoth looked taken aback, he didn’t show it. “So what?” He laughed. “It won’t matter because you are going to take it to your grave.”

Ladybug shot her yoyo at him, but he easily deflected her attack and took the yoyo away from her. Chat dropped down to a squat and hit Hawkmoth with his baton, which made him fall. Ladybug grabbed her yoyo and held him down firmly.

“Gabriel Agreste, your days of evil are over.” Chat tried to take the brooch off, but Hawkmoth didn’t detransform.

“What?” A cage fell from above the room, trapping both Ladybug and Chat.

Ladybug shook the rusty bars violently. “No! Stop this now, Hawkmoth! Let us out!”

“I’ll just use Cataclysm to let us out.” Chat Noir said until Hawkmoth stopped him.

“Don’t bother. The bars are destruction proof. Your cataclysm won’t work on this.” Hawkmoth laughed. Ladybug and Chat Noir slumped to the ground.

“He’s won. I can’t believe we failed so badly.” Ladybug sobbed, burying her face between her folded knees.

“Ah such despair. But don’t worry. I want to tell you both a story before I do take your miraculouses.” Ladybug and Chat exchanged a look. What kind of story would he want to tell them?

“Once, there was a man. He lived with his wife and son and lived happily. He felt content, having the security of his fashion company and the love of his family. But then, he started arguing with his wife. The arguments would be over trivial things. The wife would complain that her husband was too absorbed in his job to spend time with his family. The man would disagree and their disagreements grew as his successes increased. His wife would plead and beg him to listen to what she was trying to say.”

Hawkmoth had tears coming out of his eyes. However, he still continued talking, “His wife decided that she couldn’t take it anymore and she...she killed herself, leaving her son and husband behind to take in her loss. The man became cold and distant, even to his own son. He saw her face everyday in his appearance and it hurt him to see her in his son everyday. He made sure his son was busy in extracurricular activities so he he didn’t have to see him often.”

“And then, he found a miraculous. He discovered that there was a way to ache the dull, painful feeling of loss. He decided that it was possible to bring his wife back with the ultimate power that the ladybug and black cat miraculouses had when wielded together. He went forward, sending akumas to capture these precious pieces of ancient jewelry or to lure them to him, “ He looked at Ladybug and Chat Noir, who had tears in their eyes as well, “which I’ve finally been able to accomplish after all this time. I’m truly thankful that you both have helped me. I’m sure my son Adrien will be as well.”

“How can you be sure?” Chat’s voice rung loudly in the dark dimness of the room. “What if he despises you after knowing about what you’ve become?”

“All I’ve done, everything I’ve done, is for him and my family. What kind of son won’t appreciate his mother coming back to life? You don’t know anything about me, Chat Noir.”

“What about your wife? She killed herself because you didn’t listen to her. Do you think she would appreciate it now if she heard about you tormenting Parisians to get what you wanted? She wouldn’t want that, Hawkmoth. Stop what you’re doing and we can end this peacefully.” Chat pleaded desperately as Ladybug watched the two, unable to think of what to say.

“Now you both know why I did what I did.” Hawkmoth walked forward and stood in front of Chat Noir. “Let’s start with your miraculous first, shall we?” He inspected the ink black mask that Chat Noir donned and the catlike green eyes that came with the transformation. “Nathalie, please tie him up and handcuff him.”

“No, stop Hawkmoth! Leave him alone. Please.” Ladybug watched as her partner, her very best friend tried to resist Hawkmoth. How she wished she could help him. Tears came running down her face like a waterfall. Her yoyo was halfway across the room and she was trapped in a cage, tied up from head to toe. Chat Noir’s baton was nowhere in sight. Nathalie assisted Hawkmoth as he cuffed Chat’s hands together in a way where he wouldn’t be able to remove them.

“The time has finally come.” Chat Noir shifted his hand into a fist, trying to keep the ring on for just a little longer, but it was no use. Hawkmoth was too strong for him and he got the ring off easily enough. Blinding green light came from where Chat Noir and Ladybug closed her eyes and covered her ears. She didn’t want their identities to be revealed this way. She held her hands tightly over her ears to protect her earrings. She could now hear nothing.

Hawkmoth turned around, not bothering to look at who lay beneath the mask of Chat Noir. “And now, it is your turn, Ladybug.” He went over to the cage until a familiar voice made him stop dead in his tracks.

“Look at me, Father.” The voice cut through his soul. Staggering, he turned around slowly to see his son, Adrien. He was bruised and covered with dirt and grime. Sweat glistened on his face and his clothes were torn in multiple places. There was a cut on his forehead.

And then, he saw his eyes. Those familiar green eyes that his wife had. Sparkling and mysterious and beautiful. He looked at his son and saw every bit of his wife in his expression. Everything suddenly seemed to make sense. “This isn’t what I wanted, Father. And I know that it isn’t what Mom wanted either.”

“You…”

“Stop this, Father. Be the person that Mom wanted you to be. Just give me your miraculous. You don’t need to do this.” Adrien pleaded. He just wanted his father to see sense.

“Yes. You’re right. I..yes. Take your miraculous back. And take mine. I don’t want it anymore.” Hawkmoth handed the ring back to Adrien who quickly put it back on his finger.

“Hi Plagg.” Adrien looked fondly at his kwami, happy to be reunited with the one thing that gave him freedom.

“I’m hungry. I need camembert!” Plagg whined as Adrien laughed softly.

“Plagg, transform me.” Adrien felt the comfort of his suit once again.

“Nathalie, release them right away.” His father called out. Chat Noir ran to Ladybug’s side. She had her eyes tightly shut and her hands covered her ears. Nathalie unlocked the cage, but Ladybug still stood crouched on the floor.

“Ladybug, it’s over.” He put a hand on her shoulder as she opened one eye. “I have his miraculous.”

Her eyes widened comically and she tackled him in a large hug. “Oh my god, Chat. I was so scared. And...it’s over?”

“It’s over. About my identity...I-” Nerves bubbles in his stomach. She had surely seen who he was.

“I didn’t see anything.” She hugged him once again and he hugged her back, glad that it was all over. Both looked to Gabriel Agreste, who looked shamefully on to the floor.

“I take full responsibility for my actions,” He looked at his shoes, “and will take whatever punishment that is meant for me. I just want Adrien to know...that I never meant to hurt him.” Gabriel looked at Chat Noir and smiled while Ladybug retrieved her yoyo and called the police.

* * *

 

“It’s over.” Ladybug said once again that evening. “No more akumas, no more excuses, lies-”

“Or sneaking out…” They sat on a rooftop together, marveling the beautiful sunset. The sky was streaked with golden, pink, blue, and orange hues. The wind blew softly around the duo.

“What’re we going to do now? We’ll still see each other, right? Patrols and all? We can take care of crime around the city.” He grinned.

Ladybug hesitated. “Actually...I’m going to be leaving soon.” She dreaded his response.

“What? Where are you going?”

“I’m going to visit my mom. I haven’t seen her in a while so I’m going to live with her for a bit. Now that Hawkmoth’s gone, I can see her again.” She looked down at the city.

“Oh. What about me? Are you going to come back?” He asked her. She’s become one of his dearest friends and he would miss her terribly. With his father in jail, he would have to take care of the company by himself. At least he would have Marinette with him.

“Paris will always be my home. Plus, I could never stay away from you too long, silly kitty.” She flicked his bell and looked into his eyes. She would miss him so much. She loved him dearly, but she still couldn’t find the courage of telling him how she truly felt about him. Her identity was also another barrier.

“When are you leaving?”

“The day after tomorrow. Just...you need to know that I’ll miss you so much. I can’t imagine my life without you, Chat.” She choked, tears welling up in her eyes. She sniffed, “You’re my best friend, Chat. I’ll be back soon and I’ll be thinking about you all the time.” She crushed him into a hug, burying her face into the crook of his neck. She felt his arms wrap around her and his chin rested on the top of her head.

“I’ll be waiting for you the minute you come back, Bugaboo.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo…
> 
> That just happened.
> 
> I’m not entirely satisfied with how the encounter with Hawkmoth went if I’m being honest, but it was the only way I could think of it being without them revealing their identities to each other yet. Also, Gabriel does care about Adrien a lot. He isn’t completely heartless, as shown in Gorizilla. That’s why I thought this would be a good way to show that here.
> 
> Adrien is 18 in this and Marinette is 17, almost 18. The actual story starts from the next chapter. This chapter is the end of the three chapter series I had, showcasing the different relationships with each part of the love square, except for Ladrien. As seen, in this AU, Adrien/Chat is in love with Marinette and Marinette/Ladybug is in love with Chat. 
> 
> On another note, you people are the best. It’s the best feeling ever, waking up to the notifications that come in my email about the people who've given me kudos. It makes me feel like people like what I write, and that motivates me a lot. I can’t thank you all enough. But thank you so so much, from the bottom of my heart. Keep it up!


	8. Chapter 8

**_Five Years Later_ **

**Paris**

“She’s not coming.” Chat Noir said, head hung low in disappointment. He looked at the city of Paris sprawled out beneath him and sighed. He knew she would come here, at the very top of the Eiffel Tower, the moment she came back. It had been five years now and he hadn’t missed a day of coming to the Eiffel Tower, in hopes that he would catch her vaulting across the city with her yoyo. He would come here every evening, hoping he would see her face again. She was his best friend. The only person he could freely pun with and be his own dorky self with, aside from Marinette.

But then again, she was gone too. She’d changed her number and even Alya didn’t know what it was. He lost all contact with her.

He missed them and he would do anything to see both of them again.

His life had been uneventful so far. Even in jail, his father had a strong grip on Adrien’s life. His company’s reputation,  _ Gabriel,  _ had been tarnished due to him being discovered as Hawkmoth. His father had begged him to take business management as a major in university so he could get the ownership of Gabriel for himself and protect and run the business in his place.

He originally would have refused, but he knew how hard his father had worked to get his company to become so successful. It felt wrong to just abandon it now, so he reluctantly agreed.

He graduated from university and ran his father’s business. It didn’t take him a long time to realize that it was a tedious job that had many relations. Many of the models, photographers, and other fashion businesses had left their partnerships with Gabriel, and they refused to come back. He didn’t blame them, but his father had insisted that he do everything at his disposal to try to make them come back.

As he stared at the Parisian sunset before him, he couldn’t help but remember the time when Ladybug came to say her final goodbye.

**::::::**

_ I stood at the Eiffel Tower, twirling my baton carelessly in my hands. It fell with a loud clunk and as I bent down to pick it up, a red, gloved hand picked it up and handed it to me. The owner of the hand smiled at me, her hair windblown, and eyes bright blue. _

_ “Hi Ladybug.” I say as I take my baton. Her smile is a little sad as she sits down. She pats the space next to her, and I sit down with her. _

_ “I can’t believe this is the last time we’ll see each other in a long time.” She remarks. _

_ “I know. It truly is a  _ cat _ astrophe. _ ”  _ She giggles at the pun and flicks my bell., the twinkling sound ringing delightfully in my ears. It makes me glad to bring her happiness, even if it’s just for a little while. “I have something  _ fur  _ you, my lady.” I dig into my pocket and take out a small cat paw charm. “This is something you can remember me by. Something that will remind you of me, hopefully.” She has tears in her eyes as she takes it from me. _

_ “I have something for you too, Chat.” She opens her fist, revealing a small ladybug charm. “It’s such a coincidence, don’t you think?” She laughs as she leaps at me for a hug, which I happily give. “I actually have something to tell you.” She suddenly seems nervous as she pulls away. _

_ “Yeah? _

_ “Well, Chat...I, um...well…” I wait patiently for her response. _

_ “Go on…” I coax her, hoping she can gather the confidence to say whatever she wanted to. _

_ “I-I’ll really miss you.” She blurts out and she looks upset. I get the feeling that that wasn’t what she really wanted to say, but I nod. _

_ “Me too, my lady.” I hug her one last time, before she vaults away, seeing her disappear in a corner. _

_ I missed her already. _

**::::::**

The memory stung, as he remembered the feeling of loss the moment she left. She was one of his best friends, the one he could always count on. They could always tell the other how they were feeling or offer advice. They would giggle and laugh. He remembered the times she would bring snacks, like croissants, cookies, and macarons to patrol. He remembered the giddy feeling he used to have when he bit into them, feeling it melt into his mouth and the delight apparent on his face when she saw how much he liked them.

He remembered how much she hated liars. He could never forget the way she looked when she pouted, her lower lip jutting out almost adorably when she was upset with him. He would plead for her forgiveness, kneeling down in a begging position. She would look at him with her arms crossed over her chest, considering before she would jump into his arms with a hug.

Most of all, he remembered her blush. It was harder to see with the masks on, but when he teased her mercilessly, he would always see the rosy shade peak through and he swore it was the most beautiful color in the entire world.

The memories brought back his times with Marinette and the last time he saw her.

**::::::**

_ I stood in the waiting area of the airport with Alya, Nino, and Marinette’s father. _

_ “I can’t believe she’s leaving me. What will I do in the bakery now? She was such a help.” Her father chuckled, but I could tell that he was actually upset. He’d lived with his daughter since the moment she was born and now she was leaving him. I kind of felt the same way too.  _

_ I still hadn’t gathered the courage to tell her my feelings. Maybe I never would. _

_ But then I saw her come forward to see us. She was wearing black leggings with a pink cardigan over a plain white shirt. A gray knit scarf was over her neck. Her hair was pulled up into a small messy bun. Her face held a soft, sweet smile. _

_ She came over to her father first, pulling him into a hug. She was completely dwarfed by his frame, and he didn’t seem like he ever wanted to let go. She reached up to whisper something in his ears and they pulled back. “I love you, papa. I’ll be back soon.” She grinned up at him as he nodded and tears filled his eyes. _

_ She moved to Nino next. She threw her arms around his neck and murmured, “I’ll miss you, Nino. Take care of Alya for me.” She then pulled away and they did their special handshake. _

_ “Trust me, Marinette. I will.” He replied as she nodded, moving on to Alya, who wasted no time to crush Marinette into a bear hug. _

_ “Come back soon, Marinette. Ugh, I’ll miss you so much.” She squeezed Marinette tighter. _

_ “Um, Alya? You’re kind of breaking...my bones.” Alya let go in a rush, while I chuckled at their encounter. Marinette wheezed as she recovered. “I’ll miss you so much, Alya. Take care of yourself.” They hugged one last time before Marinette moved to me. _

_ I stared at those large bluebell eyes of hers, getting lost by them. They held so many emotions at once and it finally dawned on me that this was the last time I would be seeing her before… _

_ Before she would come back again. _

_ Who knew how long that would be? _

_ A month? A year? Two years? A decade? Never? _

_ But I didn’t let myself think about that for now. She was here, in my arms, at this moment and that was what really mattered. I pulled her closer to me, relishing the feeling of her body in my arms. I tried to memorize this moment, how she felt in my arms, so I could always try to remember how she felt. It was comforting in a way, but i still felt the tears come. _

_ “I’ll miss you so much, Marinette. You mean so much to me.” I heard myself say as she squeezed me. _

_ “Me too, Adrien.” She pulled away, looking into my eyes again. “I’ll be back before you know it, I promise.” She started to walk away into the gates. _

_ “Wait! Marinette.” A distant voice yelled out before I realized that it was me. _

_ “Adrien?” She turned around as I jogged over to her. I took off my sweatshirt, and held it out in front of her. “What’s that for?” _

_ “It’s for you. I know it’s kind of silly, but it’s something you can use to remember me by.” She took it and held it protectively with the arm that wasn’t holding her suitcase. _

_ “Thanks, Adrien. I’ll cherish it forever.” She giggled and then reached up to kiss my cheek. I stood there stunned until I came to my senses and began to wave. _

_ “Bye guys. I’ll miss you!” She yelled as a chorus of goodbyes came in response. It was then she disappeared into the gates _

_ I couldn’t help but wonder when she would come back. _

**::::::**

Adrien looked into the sky, which was twinkling with stars in the dark.

He could only pray that they were both safe, wherever they were.

And that he would see them again. Soon.

* * *

 

**China**

“Put the money back.” Ladybug stated firmly and held out her hand. The man in front of her wore a look of nonchalance as he continued to twist the cotton bag full of money between both of his hands mockingly. He didn’t display an ounce of fear as he gazed upon her with a grin. “I said, put the money back where it belongs. I won’t say it again.” She walked closer to him, but he only continued to stare at her further.

“Hello, Piáochóng. How are you doing on this very fine night? It’s so late; were you looking for trouble?” He laughed loudly and every single hair on her body seemed to stand up. An icy shiver went up her spine as she struggled to maintain her composure. She’d dealt with many criminals like him in her time in China, but she’d never felt so scared or nervous dealing with one before. 

She hoped her voice didn’t tremble as she continued to threaten him. “You don’t know what I’m capable of. If you value your own life, I would recommend that you give the money to me.” The man’s black eyes glittered suddenly and he crossed the distance between them easily with a few large steps. The man dwarfed her frame completely as he towered over her.

She gasped as he bent down to stoop at her level. They were nose to nose now, so close, that she could smell his wretched breath. She fought the urge not to gag as he stood so close to her. Suddenly, a gleaming silver knife was at her throat. “You don’t know what _ I’m  _ capable of, Piáochóng. I know all about the miraculous and their history. I’m also aware of how much your family and dearest partner, Chat Noir mean to you. You care about them so very much, I know. Isn’t that right,  _ Marinette Dupain-Cheng _ ?” He seethed, spitting the words in her face. Her breath left her in that moment and her knees buckled beneath her. Her body felt like lead as she fought to stay conscious. But at last, her body gave up as she remembered falling, falling, falling.

And then.

Darkness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a cliffhanger for you guys.
> 
> Enjoy :)!
> 
> Ladybug in Chinese means Piáochóng. I hope that’s right. If it’s not, feel free to correct me.

**Author's Note:**

> So....
> 
> How was it? Please give me feedback because that's the only way I can be better next time. If you have any constructive criticism, please leave it in the comments below!
> 
> Also, this is cross posted on Fanfiction.net as well.


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